Is Nestlé getting special treatment from local authorities? That’s the question festival organizers in Lausanne would like answered after the food industry behemoth was allowed to stage a concert on Friday at 100 decibels, over the official limit of 93db.

On Friday night the company – whose headquarters are in Vevey – staged a concert to celebrate its 150th birthday outside the Beaulieu events centre in Lausanne.

According to local television channel La Télé, the company received special dispensation to play music at a maximum volume of 100db.

For the past five years city authorities have refused several requests by other festivals – including Lausanne’s Festival de la Cité and Fête de la Musique – to exceed the stated maximum of 93db.

At the end of May this year Lausanne’s three biggest music events wrote to the city authorities once again to request the same dispensation, but have yet to receive a reply, reported La Télé.

Speaking to La Télé, Myriam Kridi, director of Festival de la Cité, said: “We would be very surprised if a reconsideration was given only for Nestlé’s event and that the city doesn’t take our own request into account.”

As yet La Télé has received no response from city authorities.

Contacted by The Local on Monday morning, city councillor Marc Vuilleumier confirmed that Nestlé received the special dispensation and said it was up to the city council to decide if it should be granted to other events.

A free open-air mutli-arts festival in the centre of Lausanne, Festival de la Cité runs from July 5th-10th.